Christmas Magic
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Charming went with Emma through the wardrobe. Now she's 5 years old and wants only one thing for Christmas: her mother. Her father tells her it's impossible, but he'll be proven wrong when a flyer leads him to a Christmas festival in a little town called Storybrooke.


Hey, who wants a cheesy Charming Family Hallmark-esque Christmas one shot? Lots of fluff below.

* * *

Charming threw open the door to the nursery, rushing in. The tiny baby was secure in his arms and he ignored the pain in his shoulder. He wanted to stop and stare at her, he wanted to turn back, tell Snow this was crazy! They couldn't be separated, not now, not after all they had been through. The room was set up for his daughter to have the best childhood there could be. This was what they were supposed to have.

But it wasn't meant to be.

As he made his way to the wardrobe, he saw a little flicker of light and soon, Blue appeared before him.

"Blue," he breathed. "There's no time. I have to put the baby…"

"There's something you must know. Geppetto lied to you," the fairy explained. "The wardrobe, it takes two."

Charming raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"He was originally going to send Pinocchio through but I convinced him otherwise. You can go with her, with Emma."

Charming looked down at the baby in his arms. She was no longer fussing, she was just staring up at him with her big eyes. She had her mother's eyes.

"Snow…if anyone should go with her…it should be Snow," he whispered. He wanted to be the one, of course he wanted to be the one. But a child needs a mother. He had grown up without a father and had been just fine. Without his mother, he wasn't sure if he would be the man he was.

"There's no time," Blue told him, she could hear the knights vastly approaching. "Take her. You'll have your memories, you can bring her to find us all eventually."

Charming looked back, they were kicking down the doors. The fairy was right, there was no time. He had to do this, he had to keep his daughter safe. "I'll do it, I'm her father, it's my job to keep her safe."

Blue quickly used her magic to fix his shoulder and he climbed into the wardrobe, holding the baby tightly. The fairy shut the door and there was a flash of bright light once again. When he came to, he was standing in the middle of the woods. Emma was crying once again, squirming in his arms. Charming blinked a few times as he took in the surroundings. It was dark, the only sounds that could be heard were crickets in the distance. A gust of wind passed over him and he wrapped the blanket tighter around the baby holding her closer.

"Shhh…it's alright," he cooed. "It's okay, Daddy's here. Daddy's going to figure all this out."

He walked further out of the woods, where he spotted what looked to be a pub, just much flashier, what most would know to be a diner. But to the prince, it was the possibility of warmth for his little one and that was all that mattered.

Charming wasn't sure how to explain things at first. He met a very nice waitress, who took in his appearance and the tiny baby, naked except for her blanket and assumed they were homeless. She offered food and explained there was a cot in the back, saying that he could spend the night there. She wasn't entirely sure if she could trust him or not, but he had a baby, from the looks of it a newborn.

"Thank you," he told her as she placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

"I spoke with my boss, she has a daughter who's a little bigger than yours, she has diapers, clothes and bottles you could use, she'll be bringing them by shortly," she said.

"Your kindness, it is much appreciated."

"Well we can't very well let that little baby freeze, can we? Where do you folks come from?"

"Just a faraway land." He looked around the diner, holding his daughters close. "What is here?"

"Portland, Maine."

The woman's boss soon returned with the promised items and Charming did his best to dress the baby. The waitress, Hannah, offered to step in and help. He was hesitant to put her down, but Emma needed the best, he didn't want her to catch ill. All he could think of was Snow and how she would know what to do. She already had many outfits tailored for the baby. The clothing in the new land seemed to be much different. Emma was put in something called a sleeper, which covered her whole body, a warm hat placed on her head. The diapers were different too, they were made of a plastic material rather than cloth. In the meantime, the boss had fixed a bottle. Snow was meant to have breast fed, but that was no longer an option.

After things died down, Hannah lead the two into the back, showing him the cot with extra blankets, promising she'd return come morning. Charming thanked her once again before settling down onto the cot, holding Emma on his chest. She was fast asleep, bundled up in her blanket. He slowly stroked her tiny cheek.

"I know today has been scary, Emma," he whispered. "But I promise you, I will never leave you. I know I'm not your mommy, I can't take her place and I don't want to. It's just going to be us for now." He wondered if it would truly take 28 years before he was reunited with his one true love, if she would truly miss their daughter's entire childhood. "I know I'm probably not what you expected, but I will take care of you, I will be the best father that I can be. I won't be like my own was." He kissed her head. "I love you, my sweet princess."

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Charming got a job at the diner and with Hannah's help, was able to manage childcare and find a place of their own. He did some research on the world he was in and learned that his story was told in a very different light. In fact, most of the people he knew were in movies and books. No one would ever believe he was a prince, they would have to lay low. He created a simple story, that he had to run with the baby after someone cruel had hurt his wife.

Weeks turned to months, Charming (who went by David with everyone else) was able to leave his busboy position and began working for the pet store. The hours were more flexible and he earned more money. He got his driver's license, got a car so they didn't have to rely on public transportation. Months turned to a year, then two and then three. Before he knew it, Emma was no longer that same little baby, she was 5-years-old.

She was Snow with his hair, that was all that could be said. From her chin to her shining green eyes to her adventurous personality, that's all there was to it. She had her father's tact and stubbornness, though that could arguably have been received from his wife as well. Sometimes it broke Charming's heart to look at his sweet little princess. She was beautiful, she was a great kid. But more than anything, he wanted Snow to be there. She should've been by his side watching all of it.

Emma knew her mommy hadn't left her, that she was out there. Charming had done all he could to explain the situation. She knew that she was a princess but that was a secret that had to be kept or else she could be taken away. She knew her mommy was out there, she just didn't know who they were. But one day, Emma would help her remember. One day, she would make sure everyone had a happy ending. In the meantime, Charming did enjoy what he had. At least they could be together, at least Emma wasn't growing up alone. He just hoped that the day he did find Snow, she didn't think he had screwed up in any way.

Christmas was fast approaching, which meant it was winter. With each snowfall, Charming was once again reminded of his beautiful wife. She loved the holidays, she had planned out Emma's first one already. He was quite surprised that the two worlds seemed to have very similar traditions. Their Father Christmas was just simply called "Santa Claus".

Charming waited outside the school one particularly snowy Friday afternoon. He had the whole weekend off, a rarity especially with the holiday season. But he was very excited to get to spend it with his little girl. Soon, the door flew open and teachers and students came filing out. Emma spotted him and squealed. He crouched down and spread his arms out wide, she ran right into them. He grinned, standing up and holding her close.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Hey Princess," he said, kissing her cheek. "How was your day?"

"It was lots of fun!"

"That's good to hear. Guess what?"

"What?"

"Daddy has this whole weekend off."

"Yay!"

Charming smiled, holding her closer as they headed to the car, Emma filling him in on her day. Once home, she kicked off her boots and headed straight for the kitchen to take everything out of her backpack. Charming chuckled, quickly putting her boots and jacket away. Emma moved a mile a minute, sometimes it was hard to keep up.

"Daddy, come see what I made today!"

"Just a sec, Em." He removed his own outerwear before heading into the kitchen. She had quite a few art projects out, mostly all winter themed.

"We got to write our lists for Santa," she told him after he praised her for a cotton ball snowman. She shoved the red construction paper into his hand and he mentally sighed in relief. He had been trying to ask Emma what she wanted for a while but since her teacher had said they'd be making lists in school, she had refused to tell him. But that relief went away when he saw the list. Emma had only put one thing down.

 **My mommy.**

"Emma…" Charming put on a patient smile. "Sweetheart, we've talked about this…"

"But Santa is magic, Daddy," Emma said. "He can bring her!"

"Honey, Santa can't exactly bring people. We talked about this, remember? Santa doesn't bring living things." This came up the previous year when the little girl had asked for a kitten. While he may have worked for a pet store and he loved animals, he wasn't sure she was ready for a pet quite yet.

"But he can bring this, I know he can."

Charming sighed. The last thing he wanted was his baby girl getting his heart broken. He knew how badly she wanted a mommy, but it just wasn't possible. "Baby, I know how badly you want Mommy, I want her too. I miss her very much. This just…this isn't something Santa can deliver."

"If he brings her, then I can make her remember! And then we'll all be happy."

The blonde sighed, putting a hand on her cheek. Her big green eyes were filled with hope, hope for a miracle. _Just like her mother._ "Sometimes Santa can't bring everything we want So how about I get you a paper and you can write a new list, okay? Do you want a new doll? Maybe a doll house?" He gave her a big smile, but she just shook her head.

"That's my list."

And with that, she walked out of the room. Charming let out a long sigh, leaning against the counter. He very well knew what Emma would like, he could fill the space under the tree with all her favorites. Hell, he could cave and adopt a kitten.

But she was expecting her mother. The one thing he couldn't deliver on.

His heart feeling heavy, he decided to order a pizza, he wasn't in the mood to cook. He then pulled his jacket and boots back on.

"Emma, Daddy's going to get the mail, stay inside and watch your movie, okay?"

"Okay Daddy!"

Charming headed out and opened the box, pulling out the usual collection of bills and a few catalogs. There was something different that day, though. A bright red piece of paper. He yanked it out and examined it. A flyer, for a Christmas carnival.

 **Crafts. Holiday food. Hot Chocolate. Games.**

 **Main Street**

 **Storybrooke, Maine**

There were directions below, it seemed to be just a half hour away. He checked the date, it was taking place that weekend.

Maybe it'd be something to distract Emma from her current wish.

* * *

The following morning, Charming woke Emma up and helped her dress. He braided her hair next, something he had insisted that Hannah teach him to do once Emma was old enough. Had she grown up in the Enchanted Forest, Snow would've been able to do intricate hair-dos. Braiding was the least he could do.

The ride to Storybrooke proved to be longer than he thought. At first it didn't seem like he could find it. Then suddenly, Emma saw a sign, the little girl had been learning how to read.

"Daddy, Storybrooke, left."

Charming hadn't seen it, but he figured it was worth a shot. Sure enough, after making a sharp left he found a sign that said "Welcome to Storybrooke". He drove in and before long, they were pulling up on a street that was decorated in Christmas decorations. Kids were running around with candy canes, booths were set up and he could spot a place for a Santa meet and greet.

"This is it," he announced, getting Emma from the back. He held her mitten clad hand in his own as they made it down when he spotted a familiar face...

"Red?" He asked.

At least he thought the girl was Red. Despite the weather, she was wearing a very revealing dress, a fur shrug over her. She simply shot him a look.

"Yes, I have red highlights," she snapped. "What's it to you?"

He turned and spotted a heavily pregnant Ella walking out of the diner. Grumpy and a few of the other dwarves were setting up another booth. It was all settling on the prince.

They had found everyone.

His heart was beating out of his chest. If this was it, if this was the place then…

"Would your little girl like a candy cane?"

That voice. He'd know that voice anywhere.

Charming turned around and saw her, his Snow. Her long curls were gone, cut into a short bob, but it was her alright. She was smiling brightly at him, though he could see in her eyes that she was basically looking right through him. She was still so beautiful, as if time hadn't passed at all.

"Sir?"

Charming quickly snapped out of it. Of course, no one was going to remember him, Blue had said he would be the only one. "Um, I uh…"

"I love candy canes!" Emma piped up.

Snow smiled wider and knelt down before her, holding out the red and white striped treat. "Here you go." The little girl happily accepted it.

"What do we say, Emma?"

"Emma," Snow repeated.

Charming held his breath. Would that be it? Could that be enough to make her remember?

"That's a beautiful name," she said.

He felt his heart sink his chest. Of course not.

"Thank you!" Emma exclaimed, clearly oblivious to what was going on.

"You're quite welcome, cutie pie." She stood up and looked back at Charming. "I'm Mary Margaret, by the way."

 _No, your name is Snow. Snow White. You're my wife, we're in love. Yes, Emma is a beautiful name. You thought so when you chose it! You had it picked out before I even knew what we were having!_

"I'm David. It's very nice to meet you," he said, shakily.

"I don't recognize you. Are you new?"

"We live close by, in Portland."

"Oh, we don't ever get any visitors. You two must be the first."

That flyer. It hadn't just been brought in the mail. It had been sent by fate…by magic.

"Well, I hope you enjoy the festival. If you guys like hot chocolate, there's a booth right over there, they put cinnamon in it, makes all the difference!" After giving the pair one final smile, she started heading off. Charming went to call after her, when suddenly Snow slipped on a patch of ice. Before the prince could do anything, she went crashing to the ground, hitting her head on the ground. Emma gasped and went to run over to her, but Charming held her back. Others started rushing over, checking her over, shouting that "Mary Margaret" had been hurt, that she was unconscious.

That's when it hit him.

Emma.

She was born to break the curse. True love's kiss can break any curse.

"Emma," he knelt down in front of her. "I am going to tell you to do something. It's going to sound pretty silly but you trust Daddy, don't you?" Emma nodded, quickly. "Okay, good. I need you to go over to…Mary Margaret," that was hard to say. "And kiss her cheek."

The little one's eyebrows crinkled. "But why?"

"Because she's your mommy." He nearly chuckled as her eyes lit up. "And remember what I told you? That you could help people remember, now's your chance."

Emma raced over and he watched her run beneath everyone's legs until she reached Snow. Whale was there, getting ready to call for backup when Emma pushed his hand out of the way and kissed Snow's cheek. Everyone was now talking about the strange little girl and who she belonged to, trying to move her, when a bright light went across everyone. Suddenly, the talking ceased. Charming stepped closer, holding his breath as Snow's eyes flickered open. She looked around, blinking a bit until she saw him.

"Charming," she whispered.

Relief washed over him like warm water and he knelt beside her, lightly helping her up. "Yes."

Tears prickled her eyes. "You found me."

"Did you ever doubt I would?"

He laughed kissing her. Around them, people were reuniting with loved ones, for a moment forgetting that they were once cursed. Snow and Charming nearly forgot it too until they heard a little voice.

"Daddy?"

Snow pulled away and looked down. The little girl, the one she had just seen a minute ago with her husband, not that she knew who he was at the time.

Emma, he had said her name was.

Emma.

The tears spilled down her cheeks. "Oh my God. Is this…"

Charming nodded. "Snow, I'd like for you to meet Emma. Emma, this is your mommy."

Emma grinned like crazy. "Hi!"

Snow swooped the little girl into her arms, hugging her tightly. "Hey there baby girl…" She cradled the back of her head, still feeling a little in shock. For her, it had only been a few minutes since she had last held her little girl, when in reality it had been 5 years.

"I told you Daddy," Emma said, her head buried in her mother's shoulder. "Santa's magic brought us Mommy!"

Charming batted away a tear that fell down his cheek. "Yeah baby girl, it was magic alright."

When the madness died down, they were able to realize just what happened, what both Regina and Rumple had done. They would be dealt with for all they had done, for all the trouble they had caused.

In the meantime, everyone reconnected with those they loved. Snow could not believe that she had lost 5 years with her daughter, but she would take that over the 28 she had been told originally. Not to mention she hadn't been alone, she had been with her father. Charming had done an incredible job. They couldn't leave town, not without losing their memories, but that was fine. They could stay in Storybrooke, they could rebuild their lives together.

Charming Emma moved into Snow's loft. She had already decorated for Christmas before the curse broke. Despite being cursed, her taste hadn't changed much so Emma was in pure Heaven. Charming had arranged for all of their things to be shipped, giving notice over the phone to his old employer. Their little girl wouldn't be able to see her old friends, but she'd make new ones. Snow was in awe at how well she was adjusting, she seemed to just be happy to finally have her mommy back.

On Christmas Eve, Charming stood at the top of the stairs, in the doorway of Emma's new room. Snow was curled up in bed beside her, as they read "Twas The Night Before Christmas". When it was finished, the queen tucked her baby girl in, nice and tight.

"You get some sleep Princess," she whispered. "When you wake up, Santa will have come."

"Santa already brought me what I wanted," Emma told her sleepily. "You."

Snow smiled, kissing her nose. "I guess you're right, but even so, I think he has a few more surprises in store for you."

"I love you Mommy," the little girl whispered, her eyes closing.

"I love you too, my sweet girl."

Charming felt the tears fall down his cheeks, but he didn't bother to bat them away. Blue said that this new world was one without magic, but clearly there was at least some. It had made his family whole again.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this little Christmas one shot and I hope you all have a very merry holiday!


End file.
